Class Reunion
by Underwater Owl
Summary: After hogwarts, after the battle of Jordan, after Voldemorts fall... who's left? Speculation as to the careers and love lives of all the favorite characters. (Including a lovely little PeevesMyrtle romance) Fun only! Read and Review!


Hermione sighed, and slipped her cell phone back into her purse. Her husband, Terry Boot, wanted to know what time she was coming home.

Is yesterday soon enough for you, honey?

Now, she was about to face one of the most challenging moments of her whole life; a test of her moral character, memory, and ability to cope with frightening situations.

Class Reunion.

Oh God.

She looked at the address on the building; it was the right one- 666 Mulberry Lane. Number of the devil. Fitting.

She opened the door, wincing at the creak of its hinges, and jumped backward as a rat went racing by. She stood a minute in the dusty hall, and drummed her perfectly manicured finger-nails on the banister, and then walked up the staircase in front of her.

She didn't know why she was coming to this pathetic farce. As the head of the Daily Prophet, she had much more important places to be. Pulling her robes up around her ankles, she climbed up the rickety staircase, and opened the door at the top.

Inside, was a different world? A posh apartment, nice, leather sofas, a bar, and a table with snack food; she tentatively stepped through the dark wood doorway. She looked at the crowd of people all chatting happily, and recognized only a few faces.  
'Hermione? Hermione! It's you!' A whirling bundle of pink and purple flew toward her. Lavender Brown threw her arms around Hermione's neck-

In cotton candy pink robes, with ling strings of amethysts around her neck, and purple scarves in her mauve hair, she looked like a cross between Professor Trelawney and a care bear.

Hermione smiled and patted Lavender on the back. She smiled at her, and asked politely (for as a business woman, Hermione was always polite) 'How have things been going for you Lavender?'

Lavender positively bubbled. 'Wonderful, wonderful! I teach divination at Hogwarts, you know, and I am hoping to set up a service offering predictions to anyone...'

Hermione nodded and smiled, trying vainly to keep her attention on Lavender. It was fitting that she had received the position as divination head. The role suited her. Hermione couldn't ever remember seeing her so happy. Or so... purple. The hair was a new thing.

Lavender asked the usual polite questions, and spun off in a rose tornado as someone else came through the door.

Hermione walked slowly up to a table with drinks on it, unsure as what to do. She was debating whether or not to take one, when someone came up behind her and spoke softly- 'Help yourself'

She jumped, turned, and found herself face to face with a woman she didn't recognize.

Hermione didn't know who she was. The woman had grey hair, and looked unhealthily frail. She also looked about twenty years older. Hermione, 27, like every one else in the room, wondered why someone of an older grade had come.

The woman stuck out her hand, and clasped Hermione's firmly. She looked into her eyes

'You probably won't recognize me, I've changed a lot.'

Somehow Hermione felt that those words were not meant only for this context.

'we weren't exactly friends in school, but we did talk, er, quite a bit, if that's what you can call it, _Granger'_

The drawled last word was all the hint Hermione needed. Her mouth dropped open.

'Pansy, Pansy Parkinson! Dear me, I would never have recognized you, you were acting so...'

She blushed realizing what she had been about to say might have not been exactly kind.

Pansy quirked an eyebrow-

'Polite? Yes Hermione, as I said, I have changed quite a bit.'

She moved off, leaving Hermione in a state of shock. Three seconds later she was pulled into another conversation, this one quite a bit more comfortable.

Dean Thomas and Neville Longbottom were nice to talk to.

'I became an artist immediately after I left Hogwarts' explained Dean 'I discovered, by fluke, that unlike most people, my drawings come to life almost as easily as do my photographs. I also am studying the Kirlian Aura, and the effect on the aura of using magic.'

He explained that the Kirlian Aura was the energy that could be seen around a person, through a special form of photography. Dean theorized that the aura was more closely linked to magic than anyone had ever thought.

'I love my work' explained Dean 'although, it doesn't exactly pay fantastically, I've had to take other work before now. Mostly, I become a temporary courtroom artist. I go to hearings, where photography is not permitted, and draw what I see.'

They fell silent, trying in vain not to remember some of the trials that had happened in the past few years.

Neville spoke up; a welcome break in the silence-

'I actually cheated, when it comes to work. My family has a big ancestral home, and when Gran died she left it to me, so I turned it into a magical greenhouse. Come by and visit, I charge entry rates, to help support the place, but not for old friends and not if you bring an interesting plant with you. That's not how I make my money, I can use the produces of my plants to sell to St-Mungoes, and I'm able to give them a really great price for them, better than any other retailer.'

He smiled proudly, and Hermione grinned back

'That's really great Neville, I knew you were going to go into Herbology, ever since you grew me that rose in sixth year.'

Ath this point Neville turned slightly pink, obviously he had been hoping that she had not remembered the crush he had had on her. She grinned, and continued

'So, when is Seamus going to show up, and what has he been doing?'

She looked back and forth between the two men, who suddenly looked downcast, and she knew what she was about to hear.

Dean cleared his throat, and wiped his hand across his eyes. 'Seamus became an auror, and a damned good one too, after his parents... anyways, he fell at Jordan Battle'

Hermione closed her eyes and tried not to cry. Seamus Finnegan, another one of the countless casualties of the war. Rest in Peace.

She smiled, and they made a few polite comments, but moved on pretty quickly after that.

Hermione moved toward an empty sofa, and sat down, crossing her ankle in a ladylike fashion. A pair of hands went over her eyes from behind, and a mans voice said 'Guess who, 'Mione?'

She smiled, and said with some asperity

'Ronald Weasley you sit down this minute and tell me what you've been doing with yourself.'

He sat, curled his legs up underneath him, and grinned.

'Well, after my first year on the quidditch team was such a failure, you'd imagine I'd quit.' He raised his eyebrows 'But, no, I went on with it. Idiotic of me. I was so damned competitive, I nearly killed myself practicing, but it payed off! I'm playing for, you'll never guess who! Guess?'

He looked so happy and excited; she smiled and spoke the only possible answer.

'The Chudley Cannons.'

He nearly bubbled over with happiness. He babbled on about the world cup, the Wronski feint, and his wife, the chaser, for ten minutes, before he became too hyper sitting still, and bounced off to talk to a Hufflepuff.

Hermione stayed seated, and closed her eyes for a second. She had a lot to think about, when suddenly, she felt someone sit down next to her. She opened her eyes and saw.

Draco Bloody Malfoy.

She closed them again. He cleared his throat. Obviously, he seemed to want to engage her in conversation. She opened her eyes, and saw him looking almost as uncomfortable as she felt. He spoke in a choked voice.

'So, er, Ms. Granger... I hear you own the Daily Prophet?' She blinked at him, he honestly appeared to be trying to be civil.

'Do you want something, Malfoy, because if you don't, I suggest you take your newfound manners somewhere else.'

He blushed slightly, and said in a painstakingly even voice.

'Look Granger, er, Hermione, I was just trying to be polite, I thought it might be nice to sort of, you know, bury the hatchet. I wasn't doing it for you, or for me. I thought my fiancée might have appreciated it if we could safely invite you to dinner without worrying about what was going to be roasted, me or the beef. But, obviously, you don't want to. So that settles it. Good day.' He stood and stalked off.

How could he consider talking to her, after his father had... after what had happened to Harry at the battle of Jordan?

Harry.

Oh God, Harry.

Harry was not killed by Voldemort. During the Last Battle, the Battle of Jordan, when things had been at the worst, Harry had saved the day. Harry had known he was safe from any Death Eater who had seen the prophecy, and so had walked up, in his stupid, self centered way to challenge Voldemort to a duel. Lucius Malfoy, who had lost his mind to the dementors, and was left with nothing but murderous rage, had been rescued from Azkaban, and to him it did not matter the least who survived, so long as Harry didn't. He had murdered Harry, Avada Kedavra whispered by a masked figure standing in a circle of others, and both Harry and the Dark Lord had fallen there.

Draco Malfoy had been a spy at the time. Apparently Snape had had more of an influence on him than his father, but, irrational though it was, Hermione still felt as if he could have done something to save Harry. It also hurt her that Malfoy had been the last person on their side to speak to Harry, to have a conversation with him, to wish him luck, and laugh at one last joke, but she wasn't ready to admit that to herself.

Crabbe and Goyle were not going to appear at the reunion. They were in Azkaban, having sided with their parents. Millicent Bullstrode and Blaise Zabini had apparently not had any dealings with the Dark Lord, although both of their families had been arrested. They hadn't come to the reunion, and Hermione was amazed that any Slytherins had.

Pavarti and Padma Patil were standing in front of her. Pavarti was waving a hand in her face, trying to get her attention. She smiled, and gestured for them to join her.

'Sorry' she explained, 'I was thinking, I just had a run in with ferret boy' Pavarti smiled sympathetically. And then got that look on her face that only appeared when she had a particularly juicy bit of gossip to share.

'You know, he's marrying someone... You'll never guess who!' Hermione raised her eyebrows. 'Yes, he told me, I imagine it will be some girl with a bust size bigger than her IQ.' Padma laughed. 'Yes, I could see that, but no, you'll be surprised.'

Hermione smiled 'Come on tell me.'

Despite her desperate pleas, eventually resorting to bribery through chocolate, the Padma's mouth remained tight shut. Until her husband came up and kissed her, that is.

Fred Weasley snuck an arm around his wife's waist, and pulled Padma away. 'Sorry to intrude, but we've really got to be going. We need to be back by 10:00 to put the twins to bed, and it's two hours away in good weather, even' he winked at Hermione 'Using the Ford Anglia' (which they had managed to recover from the forest a few years ago. It had emerged with several baby sports cars- little two-seaters.) Hermione looked out the window, and saw that it was indeed stormy. Lightening flashed, as if to prove Fred's point. Pavarti said goodbye, rose, and followed Fred and Padma, to the door where George was waiting with her coat and a kiss.

Hermione smiled. When the twins had gotten together, everyone had been surprised, but they seemed to fit together. And they were the only ones who could tell each other apart without fail. Now, the end result was a five year old boy with black hair, a red headed girl, aged 8, and 10 year old red headed girls, who were identical.

Just then, Dean Thomas stood up on the coffee table.

He tapped on his glass, just as Professor McGonagall had, and spoke up loud.

'Ladies and gentlemen, may I have you attention please. I have brought to you here, through the help of a very good friend of ours, who understands the needs of a party, two of the most memorable characters of our schooldays. These two have recently become, er, engaged.' There was a cheer from the crowd. Hermione looked around at the laughing faces, and was surprised to see Ginny Weasley laughing with them. She supposed that Ron must have brought her. Dean continued;

'Through research done by our very own Hannah Abbott' another cheer 'We know it is possible to transport a ghost, for a brief period of time. And so, using this magic, I give you, without further ado, the latest happy couple of Hogwarts; Peeves and Myrtle!'

There was a gasp as the box opened, and Peeves emerged cart wheeling with excitement. Myrtle emerged a split second later, weeping happily. Everyone laughed, and Susan Bones called out 'Remember that chandelier! And McGonagall! "It unscrews the other way!"' Hermione raised her glass, and shouted

'Here's to Peeves, single greatest tormentor of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry!' Pansy joined in, in her slightly raspy voice 'and his lovely bride, Marvelous Myrtle.'

Everyone cheered, and more than a few chuckles were stifled at the change of her name. The conversation returned to its previous level, punctuated by some outbursts. Peeves flew down to Hermione, and hung upside down in the air in front of her. She grinned, and poked a hand through his nose. He blew a raspberry and propelled straight through Ginny, who jumped a foot.

Ginny grinned, and sat down next to Hermione. Hermione smiled back, and leaned in closer. Then, she dropped her voice

'Ginny, er, I was talking to Pansy Parkinson, and, er, I was wondering if you knew what happened to her?'

Ginny's eyes watered, and her smile slipped.

'That's a sad story. Pansy's parents were both death eaters, but, she decided, bless her, to become one of Snape's group and spy for us. Well, one meeting, Voldemort announced that he had received notice of a spy from Hogwarts. She realized their cover was blown, so she tried to control the situation. She turned to one of the students who wasn't actually a spy, I think it was Crabbe, and yelled "Run! They know it's us"' Ginny wiped her eyes with the back of her sleeve. 'She got about three feet, of course, and she knew she didn't have a hope. The Dark Lord didn't take too kindly to spies so he...'

Hermione nodded as Ginny trailed off. Her respect for Pansy increased greatly. The Dark Lord was not a kind master, and Pansy would certainly have been tortured, and probably would have ended up being killed. She remembered that several prisoners had been freed at the battle of Jordan. Pansy must have been among them.

Just then, Dean, who had been hosting the party, stood back up on his coffee table.

'And ladies and gents, one last speech before we leave. You all seem to be drifting off home, and I wanted to say this before we leave.

Two of our friends have the happiest news I could possibly announce here. Yes folks, we've got a marriage on our hands.'

Everyone laughed, and Ron shouted 'Just tell us who, you stupid git!'

Dean called back 'In a minute, in a minute. First, I have one thing to say.

We all lived through what we can loosely call 'interesting times.' We lost friends, we lost family, but we came through with each other. Now, the war is over, those responsible are gone, and we are left with the aftermath. A cloud of superstition is still hanging over everyone. We must do our best to get past it.'

Dean smiled, half of his audience were crying, and then grinned quickly.

'And so, I am pleased to be to invite you all to witness the wedding of the talented, amazing and eerie Draco Malfoy to his beautiful, friendly, and wacky fiancée Ginny Weasley!'

Hermione almost passed out. Ron sat down rather abruptly Dean laughed at Ron, and grabbed Malfoy and pulled him onto the coffee table.

Malfoy glared at him. Dean ignored him, and proclaimed loudly that Malfoy had to make a speech. Malfoy grinned; an expression that Hermione thought seemed to suit his face. He reached his hand toward Ginny, and he pulled her up onto the coffee table with him. She was laughing, and by now so were most of the people in the room. Then Draco spoke up.

'Friends, and now family' He nodded and smiled at Ron, who threw up his hands in an air of defeat and smiled back. Malfoy continued ' I have this to say...' He took Ginny by the elbows, lifted her up (she was a lot shorter than he was) and kissed her. Her arms went around his neck, her foot popped up, and the room exploded with cheers.

Hermione smiled. For the first time in the four years since Harry died, she felt like the war was done.


End file.
